Lords of Time
Encyclopedia
Lords of Time is an interactive fiction
computer game designed by Sue Gazzard and released by Level 9 Computing
in 1983. Originally purely a textual adventure for 8 bit microcomputers, the game was later released as part of the Time & Magik compilation where graphics
were added for the Atari ST
and Amiga
versions. Like all Level 9
adventures of its time it was written in the in-house A-code language which was platform-independent – this implementation of a virtual machine
allowed for quick porting across platforms.
, age of dinosaur
s, dark ages, future
, the middle ages
, Tudor
England
and the Roman Empire
. Due to the meddling of the Time Lords anachronisms abound, for example cavemen are found living in the same era as dinosaur
s.
Access to the nine different eras is via a grandfather clock
that turns out to be a time machine
in disguise.
The game was re-released in 1988 as part of the Time & Magik compilation alongside Red Moon and Price of Magik. Although positioned within the compilation as the first part of a trilogy it has no real connection to the latter two
(as opposed to the sister compilation release Silicon Dreams
where all three games did form a trilogy).
reviewing the Spectrum
version declared "I find it impossible to justly describe what a brilliant adventure Lords of Time really is"
. A Computer and Video Games
magazine multiformat review claimed "..the game is a light-hearted one which is fun to play, not too difficult to progress in, but will, I suspect, take rather a long time to complete. Who could ask for more?"
Personal Computer Games
rated it a PCG Hit
Interactive fiction
Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, describes software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives and as video games. In common usage, the term refers to text...
computer game designed by Sue Gazzard and released by Level 9 Computing
Level 9 Computing
Level 9 was a British computer text adventure game company which produced some of the most advanced games of the 1980s. Founded in 1981 by Mike Austin, Nicholas Austin and Pete Austin, the company produced about 20 games for BBC Micro, Nascom, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Oric, Atari, Lynx 48k, RML...
in 1983. Originally purely a textual adventure for 8 bit microcomputers, the game was later released as part of the Time & Magik compilation where graphics
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
were added for the Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
and Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
versions. Like all Level 9
Level 9 Computing
Level 9 was a British computer text adventure game company which produced some of the most advanced games of the 1980s. Founded in 1981 by Mike Austin, Nicholas Austin and Pete Austin, the company produced about 20 games for BBC Micro, Nascom, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Oric, Atari, Lynx 48k, RML...
adventures of its time it was written in the in-house A-code language which was platform-independent – this implementation of a virtual machine
Virtual machine
A virtual machine is a "completely isolated guest operating system installation within a normal host operating system". Modern virtual machines are implemented with either software emulation or hardware virtualization or both together.-VM Definitions:A virtual machine is a software...
allowed for quick porting across platforms.
Gameplay
The anonymous hero of the game (controlled by the player) appears to be a computer programmer in contemporary times. At the start of the game the hero is contacted by Father Time who sends the hero on a quest to recover nine treasures in order to defeat the machinations of the evil Time Lords. The game is divided into 9 eras of time (not including the starting section in the hero's living room), such as the 20th century, ice ageIce age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
, age of dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s, dark ages, future
Future
The future is the indefinite time period after the present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the nature of the reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently exists and will exist is temporary and will come...
, the middle ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, Tudor
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. Due to the meddling of the Time Lords anachronisms abound, for example cavemen are found living in the same era as dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s.
Access to the nine different eras is via a grandfather clock
Longcase clock
A longcase clock, also tall-case clock, floor clock, or grandfather clock, is a tall, freestanding, weight-driven pendulum clock with the pendulum held inside the tower, or waist of the case. Clocks of this style are commonly 1.8–2.4 metres tall...
that turns out to be a time machine
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
in disguise.
The game was re-released in 1988 as part of the Time & Magik compilation alongside Red Moon and Price of Magik. Although positioned within the compilation as the first part of a trilogy it has no real connection to the latter two
(as opposed to the sister compilation release Silicon Dreams
Silicon Dreams trilogy
Silicon Dreams is a trilogy of interactive fiction games developed by Level 9 Computing during the 1980s. The first game was Snowball, released in 1983, followed a year later by Return to Eden, and then by The Worm in Paradise in 1985. The following year they appeared together in a bundle as the...
where all three games did form a trilogy).
Reception
Reception to Lords of Time was positive. CrashCRASH (magazine)
Crash was a magazine dedicated to the ZX Spectrum home computer. It was published from 1984 to 1991 by Newsfield Publications Ltd until their liquidation, and then until 1992 by Europress.-Development:...
reviewing the Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
version declared "I find it impossible to justly describe what a brilliant adventure Lords of Time really is"
. A Computer and Video Games
Computer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
magazine multiformat review claimed "..the game is a light-hearted one which is fun to play, not too difficult to progress in, but will, I suspect, take rather a long time to complete. Who could ask for more?"
Personal Computer Games
Personal Computer Games
Personal Computer Games was a multi-format UK computer games mag of the early/mid eighties.-History:It is famous for launching the careers of several notable games journalists of the '80s including Bob Wade, Peter Connor and Chris Anderson. Anderson would later launch Amstrad Action, and Future...
rated it a PCG Hit